Pneuiviatic-dispatch-tube system



A'. WQ PEARSALL. BNEUMATIC DESPATGHTUBE SYSTEM.v

y (NoModel.)-

No. 551,602.. Patented De. 17, 1895'.

UNITED STA-@Tits VAT-ENT l ALBERT WQ PARSALL, oir-NEW YORK, N.Y.,Ass1GNOn'ro THE METEO-R -DnsPA'r'cn COMPANY, or PORTLAND, MAINE.r

v PNEuMATic-DISPATCH-Tujss SYSTEM.

, SPECIFICATION To all whom it may concern:H v

Be it known-that I, ALBERT 'W. PEARSALL, of NewYork, county of NewYork,- and State of New York, Ahave invented-new and useful Improvementsin.'Pneumatic-Dispatch-Tube Systems; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and rexact description 'of the invention,which will enable -others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.'

My invention relates. topa new and useful improvement inpneumaticdispatch-tube systems in which pressure behind the. carriers isusedtodispatch the same from one part of the system to the other, indistinction from vacuum systems in which the carriers are drawn along bythe vacuum created in front thereof, and it especially -relateavtogmeans for starting into circulation the air-v pressure which is normallydormant when' carriers are not being passedv through the sys- 4tern-that is, I mean there is Yno circulation of pressure through thesystemso tliatin the normal condition of the apparatus the press'-l ureis not continually circulating through the system, but there is only acertain pressure v in the system, which is suicient to hold the" valvesand other necessary'parts of the system in their closed positions, andthe' said pressure is not in circulation', but simply lies dormant.v

My invention further relates to a valve by means of which the pneumaticcircuit is opened or closed, depending entirely upon the pressure actingonv said valve," which, when the pressure is full and not circulating,has the eiiect of closing said valve and cutting o the pneumaticcircuitthat is, it cuts oi the outlet for the air from the system andthereby prevents circulation of the pressure throughv the system, andconsequently prevents aloss of power in thc pneumatic-dis-l patch-tubesystem, which as at present construcied and arranged has a largepercentage of loss, owing to the circuit being open and the pressureconslantl y passing through the tubes whether ille carriers are passingtherethrough or not, but by the arrangement I have provided thc pressurepasses through the system und continues so in circulation v only whcgacarrier has been inserted into forming pea-'of' sewers Patent No.551,602, dated December '17, 189s. `Application filed April'25, 1895.Serial No. 547,138. (Ng model.) I

- the-system to be dispatched from one point matie-circuit valve to dropand thereby open the pneumatic circuit through the syst-em, which actsas a propulsive force against the carriers and propelsthe same from thepoint of insertion to the point of discharge. Without providing means`for a certain'escape of ble-to open the said valve; butbjy lpermittinga temporary discharge of vthe pressure 'the carriers, the free airremaining in the system is' -not suicient 4tov hold the valve closed,and the same opens by gravity and provides an outlet. for the pressureand thus completes the pneumatic circuit through the system, andthecarrier driven along vthe system by the pressure'in its rear passes tothe desired point where it is discharged, and the pressure which hadbeen started into circulation topropel the carrier bypressure on itsrear immediately' passes, fafter the discharge of the carrier, onto thecircuit-regulating valve and closes the sameand cuts oi the outlet ofthe pressureand thereby stops lthe circulation of said pressure .throughthe syst-em, and the system is then in its normal condition and has nocirculation of pressure therethrough, which, however, is started :into

the system to escape by the insertion of a carrier, which escape of airso reduces the`A pressure in the system as tocause the pneuthe air fromthe system it would be-impossiv from thefsystem," caused-by the:insertion of circulation 'and draws its supply from a suitable sourceat the insertion of each carrier.

From the above .it will .be seen that my invention broadly consists in anew and useful improvement in .pneumatic dispatch -tubc motion, in mysystem .is only applied or put into circulation to act as a propellingmedium by a `reduction voi pressure in said system systems,whereby thepower, which, in systems as at present constructed, 'is' constantlyinwhen a carrier has been introduced, and my y IOO civA

the pressure upon the introduction of the carrier into the system, sothat'the carrier is transmitted from one point to another, andimmediately upon its discharge the pressure which has driven it acts onsaid valve and cuts off the outlet for the pressure and thereby stopsthe circulation of said pressure.

In the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this application, andwhich illustrate a constructionembodying my invention, Figure l is aside elevation of a pneumatic-disi patcl1tube system and showing theterminals with their valves and the circuit-regulating valve in section.Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the circuit-regulating valve. Fig.3 is a central crosssection through the circuit-regulating valve. Fig. 4is a detail Asectional view of a part of the system and showing thereina valve closing and opening at either the cashiers or salesmans station,through Which the carriers are introduced into the system. Fig. 5 is areversed detail plan view of said valve.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

' From the salesmans station A is a line of tubing ll, which passes tothe terminal C located at the eashiers station D. In the tubing 'at saidstation there is provided a valve Bl pivvotcd at B2, and normallyclosing an opening into the tubing by the pressure in said system, andwhen it is desired to insert a carrier the opera tor presses the carrieragainst said. valve, which yields to said pressure, and When thecarrieris introduced the valve closes the opening by the pressure in thesystem. The terminal. C consists of an outer curved guidingplate C' andan inner curved guiding-plate C2, between which the carrier passes whenre.

eeived from the tube B, and at the extreme inner end of the saidterminal at' the extremity of the inner curved guiding-plate C2 aguiding-strip C is secured, which extends to the bottom of the terminal,and it permits` the pressure coming through the terminal C to ypassacross and down through the tube E, but at the same time guides thecarrier to the outlet ci the terminal closed bythe valve C4, and thisvalve consists oi two leaves C5 and C, Ajoined together by a suit-ableconnectingrod C7, and is pivoted to the terminal at The area of the leaiC exposed to the pressure in the system being greater than the area ofthe leaf C5, the said valve is held in this closed position by thepressure in the system, and the momentum of the d i seharging carriersutiicient 'to open the valve (J4 to permit the dischargeof the carrier,and in stantly upon said discharge the ,pressure on the larger leafcloses the said valve and holds it in its closed position, as shown. Thetube E is connected to a chamber F, located at the cashiers station D,and it has at its upper end a valve F secured to au arm F2 and pivotedin the interior of said chamber tolugs F3, cast or otherwise secured tothe chanisuitable soft washer F4 fitting against the upper side ot' thechamber F and around and closing the opening F5, and there projectsdownwardly from said valve a shield F, against which the pressurepassing through the system acts, and assists in holding said valve F'closed against the opening F", and

in the normal condition of the parts the valve remains closed, due tothe pressure against the under side, but Whena carrier is forced againstsaid valve through the opening Fithe valve opens and the carrier passesinto the chamber F and down through the tube B into thedownwardlydischarging terminal II, which is provided i i' i a thin stripof metal or guide-rod Il to d ect and guide the carrier to the valve J,which is pivoted at J and consists of two leaves Jl and J, which are ofa construction and operate the same as described for the valve C", andas soon as the carrier is discharged the pressure acting on the leafJ'vvhieh has a greatcrarea, closes the valve and holds it in its closedposition. The pressure in the system then continues downwardly throughthev tube G to the circuitregulating valve Ii, and acts on said valve ashereinafter de scribed.

The pressure-valves C* and J arc substam tially of a construction andoperaie substantiall),Y the same, as the pressurevalve shown, described,and claimed in Letters Patent No. 527,073, dated October 9, 189i, andgranted to the Meteor Despatch Company of Maine, as my assignee. Thepressure coming from a suitable source of supply passes through asuitable reducing-valve X, and thon through the tubing Il, terminal C,tube E, chamber F, tube G terminal H, tubo G, and through a coupling Giinto a central chamber l/ of the regulatingvalvc K. This valve has anupper chamber K2 and a lower chamber Kil, which latter chamber isprovided with a coupling li* leading to an outlet-pipe K5 to theatmosphere. Thevchambers K and K2 are separated by a llexible4 diaphragmL, secured to a veri ical rod L,ivhieli, at its lower end, has asuitable valve lll adapted to open and close the opening lll between thechambers K and K3. The pressure in the system, as previously described,upon reaching the chamber K' of the circuit-regu- 1 lating valve K actson the diaphragm L and valve M, and the said diaphragm having a largerarea of surface exposed to said pressure is moved upwardly, as shown infull lines, Fig. 3, and ri .iscs the valve M, thereby closing theopeningli', and said opcniu being closed and there being no out-letterthe pressure the circulation is immediately stopped' and the pressure inthe system lying dormant is sufficient to close all the valves in thesysicm'a'nd preventloss of pressure. Non when a carrier is introducedthrough the vulvcll'or vulve F' a certain amount ol' the dormantpressure in the system escapes to the ai mosphere. and the pressurebeing thus reduced theva l\ e .ll dropsl by gravity and provides :inopening to the at berF, and on its upper side is provided with i ,lmosphere iorthopressu ro, :rs1 Irc freeii r i u the IOO 'l 4, Thechamber Kislpiovi 551,602.r l I s sistem is not sullcient to close thesame; and t e'carrier. having beehfmserted prevents the pressurestarted' intocirculation from a suitv able supplyfrom passing throughthe system 5 and acting on the Adiaphragm, 'as vall of said pressurecannot pass thecarrier in the tube; bjt/thecarrienon eringI at itsstation /allows the -full ,vol'ugiu 5" the system to-ru :o phragm Il,andel ing lthe valve IVI-,fa

peiling. M by liftfull lines, Fig. 3.

ion to the upwardzmovelinentpf the diaphragm L to prevent the torapidsing of the same,

I5 and thenvalve Nis providedgwith an 'opening N locatedA in the t' pof-said chamber, and as said diaphragmdropsatmospheric pressure is drawninto thefcliamberi? through the opening- N, and a's saiddiaphragm Lrises the press- 2@ ure the chamber'retardsathetoo rapid rise of'saidjrdiaphragm'-`` andgthus acts to 4cushion the up-.tyard l movementf-'of tlie .fsame,1 as the pressure insaidzchamberisretarded in itslescapefthrough. the small-"openingNq'r The 2 5 '-.valveNgthus acts as ameans' forallowingthe Y:airs to-fpass into, the chamberK?, and'alsoactsf lto regulate the passage of.l air; so'gthat #thev up- Ward'movement of the diaphragni-L. isregfiif vlatedby the air in thechambr K1;o -LFrom the above it -will be seen that in the normal" condition ofthe parts and when no carrier-is being transmitted throughthe systefmfthpressure in said system closes the valve`4 M and 3 5 necessary to createa circulation through the system, and as long as no carrier isintroduced the pressure liesdormant in the system and holds all theWorking parts in proper position; but when a carrier is introduced, acertain 4o portion of the air escaping, the pressure is red uced andtlivalve M drops from the opening M vandthus provides an opening to theatmosphere for the pressure', and the pressure is immediately startedinto circulation to 45 drive the vcarrier to its proper station, andimmediately @the air contained in ncl-faction the dia.-

ed to actas a cush- '..of the pressure at all by on valve opens toestablish a propelling current and closes on the exit of the carrier.

-' provided carriers and with a regulated air inlet, an air thus closesthe outlet, which is upon the discharge of the carrier thepressurecomi'g from the suitable source of supply passes on and acts yonthe diaphragm L and igmediately closes the outlet to the atmosphere,sud` consequently the circulation` 5o of pressure is immediatelystopped. From this it, will be ySeethat the pressure for transmitting ofcarriers ifsuly used When the-carlriers are introducedintothe system to.befy dispatched from loneI point tmnther, audi from this a great savingof power necesslly results, Whereas in the old system a greatloss of'power is incurred by the continued use times without regard to whetherthe carriers are being transmitted or not.

Having thus ascertained the nature of my invention, what I claim is 1.In a pneumatic dispatch tube system, provided with Valved inlets andoutlets for the carriers`,1an air outlet, and a valve for said outletadapted to be opened by the reduction of pressure in the system andclosed by vthe restoration of the normal pressure Wherethe introductionof the carrier thesaid 2. In a pneumatic dispatch tube system, withvalved inlets and outlets for outlet, and a valve for said outletadaptedto be opened by the reduction of pressure in the system and closedby therestoration of the normal pressure whereby ou the introduction of thecarrier the said valve opens to establish a propelling current andcloses on the exit of the carrier:

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 11th day of S 5 April, A.D. 1895.

ALBERT W. PEARSALI..

Witnesses:

S. II. TROW, E. L. IIARLoW.

